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The apex socio-cultural youth organisation in Igboland, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has called for prosecution of political looters in Nigeria.
The Igbo youth group opted that the best thing President Muhammadu Buhari would do for Nigerians that would leave an indelible mark is to jail all political looters in the country before he leaves office in 2023.
The Igboayaka O. Igboayaka-led Ohanaeze Youth Council, in a statement forwarded to AFRIPOST on Tuesday, also urged President Buhari to launch “Operation Financial Crime Clean-up” in Nigeria.
The group bemoaned the rate of impunity among political office holders and regretted that criminals ought to pay for their crimes.
The OYC also attributed corrupt politicians who are guilty of embezzlement and all other forms of misappropriation of public funds amidst impunity to the regular fully armed criminals who steal without minding the consequences of their crime.
“A government that is devoid of corruption is that government that has outright, zero tolerance for crime and criminality, irrespective of whose ‘ox is gored, “according to the youth body.
The Igbo youth organisation explained that part of the reasons for the extant agitations by Pro- Biafrans is the governors from Igbo extraction looted the local government funds meant for rural development since 1999 and left the people in abject penury.
The Ohanaeze youths also reechoed the call on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to revisit the N7.1bn money laundering case of the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
According to the Igbo youths, “the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu are the reason for unemployment, poverty and insecurity in Southeast.
“What is happening in the East today is remotely caused by Orji Uzor Kalu mal-administration.
“There’s no doubt that Abia State is the most backward state in the Southeast, courtesy of Orji Uzor Kalu”.
The OYC further queried the EFCC under the then leadership of Ibrahim Magu to explain to Nigerians the basis that warranted the release of Orji Uzor Kalu, stressing that the principles and ethics of EFCC were compromised.
The Igbo youths said, “we can’t continue to live in a Country of drama over serious matters treated with levity. It’s a truism that Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu was facing a trial with two others on alleged 1.7bn fraud, yet the case was swept under the carpet.
“Unfortunately, we’re living in a country where few individuals have looted the economic life-span of Nigeria yet they move freely in public places. In a sane civil society, the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu shouldn’t be walking freely, after being found guilty of mismanagement of Abia State local government funds”.
The Ohanaeze youths, therefore, called on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to quickly revisit Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s 7.1 billion naira fraud to ensure the people of Abia State whose commonwealths were allegedly looted, get justice.
Words: “With the greed and primitive looting that characterized the person of Orji Uzor Kalu, I urge Abdulrasheed Bawa to undergo a fresh financial investigation on the past financial activities of Abia State under the then leadership of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu beginning from 1999 to 2007 when he was the governor of Abia”.
The highest youth body in Igbo land also reiterated its appeal to President Buhari to keep a lasting historical legacy by jailing all political criminals in Nigeria.